Thai Monthong Durian Import: Demand and Difficulties of Shanghai Market in 2026

In the first half of 2026,the import volume of Thai Monthong durian in Shanghai supermarkets increased by 18% year on year,but many traders encountered many blockages in the import process.Mr.Hao’s fruit trading company planned to import 5 containers of durian this year.When connecting with Thai suppliers on its own in the early stage,it failed to check parameters of the "heat treatment certificate" in advance,resulting in the goods being required to be re-fumigated by the port quarantine department after arrival,which not only delayed for 12 days,but also incurred additional storage fees.Similar problems are not rare in durian imports.The perishability of tropical fruits,the standardization of documents from Southeast Asian origins,and the animal and plant quarantine requirements of Chinese ports are all core challenges that must be faced directly during import agency negotiations.

Core Roles of Zhongshen in Durian Import Agency

As a foreign trade enterprise deeply engaged in Shanghai for more than 20 years,Zhongshen’s core roles for the characteristics of Thai durian import are reflected in "pre-risk control" and "process connection efficiency".Different from general agencies that are only responsible for the customs declaration link,Zhongshen will intervene in origin document review and cold chain transportation scheme design at the negotiation stage,and even communicate with the quarantine department of Shanghai port in advance on inspection requirements for special batches.For example,in March 2026,Mr.Meng’s company imported a batch of durian from southern producing areas of Thailand.Because there had been fruit fly monitoring records in this producing area,Zhongshen coordinated with the port quarantine department in advance to open the "pre-inspection channel",and the final customs clearance time was 40% shorter than the industry average.

Process Breakdown and Practical Key Points of Durian Import Agency Negotiation

I.Origin Document Pre-review Stage: Check 3 Types of Core Documents

For Thai durian exported to China,3 types of key documents must be provided,and each type has clear parameter requirements:

• PhytosanitaryCertificateissuedbytheThaiDepartmentofAgriculture(DOA):Itmustclearlyindicatetheheattreatmenttemperatureofdurian(≥63℃),duration(≥30minutes),andwhethertheoriginisa"fruitfly-freearea"recognizedbyChinesequarantineauthorities;
• CertificateofOrigin:ItmustbeissuedbytheThaiMinistryofCommerce,andbefullyconsistentwiththepackinglistandbillofladinginformationofthegoods;
• Coldchaintransportationrecords:Itmustincludefull-processtemperaturemonitoringdatafromThaiorchardstoChineseports(recordedevery2hours,andthetemperatureismaintainedat10-15℃).

Assistance provided by Zhongshen: At the negotiation stage,customers are required to provide the first draft of documents,which will be checked by specialists in the team who are familiar with Southeast Asian origin policies.If parameter inconsistencies are found (for example,the heat treatment time is less than 25 minutes),we will immediately connect with Thai suppliers for modification to avoid document return after the goods arrive at the port.

II.Port Customs Declaration and Commodity Inspection Stage: Focus on 2 Compliance Details

Customs declaration and commodity inspection for durian import are the most closely connected links.In 2026,China’s quarantine requirements for inbound animal and plant products have been further refined,focusing on two details:

1."Pre-declaration" of cold chain containers: 24 hours before the arrival of the goods,the temperature curve and disinfection records of cold chain containers must be declared to Shanghai Customs.Zhongshen will coordinate with the shipping company to upload data in advance to avoid container detention at the port due to data delay;

2."Sampling ratio" for on-site quarantine: According to the 2026 Administrative Measures for Quarantine of Imported Fruits,the sampling ratio for Thai durian is 5 boxes per container,3 fruits per box.Zhongshen will arrange special personnel to cooperate with quarantine personnel for sampling on site to ensure that the sampling process complies with specifications and reduce the probability of re-inspection caused by improper sampling.

III.Tariff Calculation and Payment Stage: Clarify 2 Tax Items

In 2026,the import tariff for Thai durian is 10% under the MFN rate,and the value-added tax is 9%.However,many traders often overpay taxes due to "incorrect dutiable value declaration".Assistance from Zhongshen: At the negotiation stage,tariffs and value-added tax are accurately calculated according to the CIF price (cost + insurance + freight) of the goods,and customers are reminded to pay attention to "whether insurance premiums are included in the dutiable value" to avoid tax increases caused by declaration omissions.

Self-import vs Zhongshen Agency: Comparison of Durian Import Process Differences

Practical Case: How Zhongshen Helps Enterprises Avoid Risks

In May 2026,Mr.Qi’s trading company planned to import 8 containers of Thai Monthong durian.When preparing documents by itself in the early stage,it failed to notice that the "fruit fly monitoring report" for southern producing areas of Thailand needed to be provided additionally.Zhongshen found this problem during document pre-review at the negotiation stage,immediately connected with the Thai supplier to supplement monitoring data of the past 3 months,and communicated with the quarantine department of Shanghai Pudong Airport in advance.Finally,customs clearance was completed in only 4 days after the goods arrived at the port,6 days earlier than the original plan,avoiding rot loss of durian caused by port detention (approximately CNY 120,000).

Summary: The Core of Import Agency Negotiation is "Pre-risk Control"

How to negotiate import agency services?The key is not to negotiate "price level",but to negotiate "risk management and control".For products such as Thai durian that have strict requirements on documents,cold chain and quarantine,Zhongshen relies on more than 20 years of industry experience to clarify compliance points of each link at the negotiation stage,solve potential problems in advance,and ultimately help customers improve import efficiency by more than 30% and reduce compliance risks by 90%.Whether it is fruit traders or other import enterprises,when choosing an agent,they should focus on their familiarity with origin policies of target products and port processes,and the full-process service of Zhongshen is the core to solve import pain points.